Multiple serging machine



Aug. 6, 1968 G. D. LEWIS, JR. ET AL 3,395,660

MULTIPLE SERGING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 23, 1964 INVENTORSQ A. WOLL STEIN LEO BY .EORGZ! 0. LEM 251R A Trad/YE) Z Aug. 6, 1968 e. D. LEWIS, JR. ET AL 3,395,660

MULTIPLE SERG I NG MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed Dec. 25, 1964 INVENTORS LEO A. WOZLSYEUV az'rozaz 12 I e A 7"7'O/Q/VE) 8-' 1968 G. 0. LEWIS, JR. ET AL 3,395,660

MULTIPLE SERGING MACHINE Filed Dec. 23, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS LEOA- W01: STEIN BYGEORGE .LEWIQk 6, 1963 G. D. LEWIS, JR" ET AL 3,395,660

MULTIPLE SERGING MACHINE Filed Dec. 23, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 A lNVENTOR-S i' gokezr Aime/v5 nited States ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A multiple serging machine which continuously serges opposite edges of material such as a continuous length of carpet that is continuously being cut and fed to the present serging machine which simultaneously serges both the raw cut edges.

Serging is an operation usually performed by stitching to neatly bind the edge of material and the like. It is a common practice with respect to cut textile goods such as carpets in order to give a more finished and neater appearance to the raw edge. Serging machines are well known and have been manufactured for many years by Singer Manufacturing Company. The usual serging machine is a single needle machine which includes a looper element that performs on one side of the material while the needle punctures and penetrates with the serging filament or yarn in order to form a lock-stitch around the edge and along the length of the edge continuously as the material is moved across the machine or vice versa. However, heretofore such machines have been capable of accepting only one edge of material and serging only one edge at a time. A need has existed for some means of taking a carpet or similar textile wide goods and cutting or severing it continuously and at the same time continuously and automatically feeding it and serging the two raw edges. The present machine is directed to the accomplishment of this objective.

Generally described, without restriction on the scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims, the present invention comprises a heavy machine plate on which is mounted a heavy machine base having a needle support arm extending upwardly and forwardly therefrom. A pair of needle holders having spaced bearing support surfaces are mounted side-by-side on the forwardly extending arm and with the needle holder mounted therein for reciprocation but at an angle both to the horizontal and the longitudinal center line of the arm. On opposite sides of the arm is provided a flat bed having guide members thereon adapted to guide the raw edges of a piece of carpet or the like which is cut by a cutting blade behind the arm. The two raw edges of carpet are fed on opposite sides of the arm to one of the respective serging needles in continuous fashion. Upper, spring tension guide means are provided above the carpet to assist and facilitate its continuous smooth movement across the bed. Beneath the machine bed and below the continuous carpet fed thereacross are the looper elements, there being two of conventional construction driven from a common drive means on the machine and adapted to perform the double-acting looping operation which is common to and peculiar to the serging operation. It is to be noted that the serging operation performed by the needle which punctures with its filament through one side of the carpet and the double looper elements underneath the carpet to form the loop is not, per se, new in the present invention and no particular attention is directed thereto except that it is disclosed and described. A common drive shaft is supported on hearing members on the front of the machine and extends from the front to the rear with suitable connecting rod members driving both of the bottom looper elements. The bearing members also support a front rocker arm which is attached by a crank shaft to the main drive and which has the other end attached for movement intermediate the two needle holders which are driven by respective oscillating members connected to the rocker arm. Thus, one common drive means drives both looper elements as does one common rocker arm drive both needle holders considerably simplifying the simultaneous operation of these elements. The machine plate may be mounted on a table support having basket therebeneath supporting spools or wound bobbins of thread or other filament which is fed continuously to the needles in the holders. In the operation of the present multiple serging machine, carpet is out behind the machine and immediately adjacent thereto and then pulled continuously across the respective guides on opposite sides of the main arm and then fed continuously beneath the side by side serging needles receiving the serging looped edge on each of the raw edges continuously as the carpet is fed thereacross. Power may be applied through a belt or other drive from a common electric motor.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a multiple serging machine which simultaneously serges two or more edges of a continuously fed textile material.

A further object of this invention resides in the common drive means for serging needles as Well as a common drive means for the serging looper elements acting in concert with the needles to perform the serging operation.

Another advantage of this invention is found in a particular motion and mounting for simultaneously driving both serging needles which are mounted commonly on the same support arm.

Likewise, there is an advantage in the present invention in the common drive means for the looper elements which are driven by common drive members therefrom.

Other and further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent upon reading the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the machine of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the machine shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view taken substantially along line 33 in FIG. 2 and showing the looper elements in one position.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation view taken substantially along lines 44 in FIG. 1 and showing the looper elements in a different position as driven from a common drive source.

FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of the machine of FIG. I mounted on a support and having the thread basket therebeneath.

Referring initially to FIG. 1 and thence to the other figures of the drawings as the specification unfolds, the complete machine is designated by reference numeral 10 and comprises a heavy metal machine bottom plate 12 on which is mounted a solid anvil like head or base 14 having opposed, platform portions 16 on opposite sides thereof and substantially in a horizontal position and having extending therefrom a forwardly inclined arm 18 of solid construction which has a longitudinal axis marked as a. On the upper, outer end of the arm 18 there is mounted a double holder assembly 20 for supporting serging needles 22 which are mounted in holders 24 all of identical construction. It is to be noted again at this point that the serging operation per se, that is, the operation of the needles and the looper elements to be described later as well as the operation of the needles 22 is not by itself any differently performed in other serging machines and does not by itself form a part of this invention. Needle holders 24 are reciprocating elements which are mounted in bearings in common, opposed bearing blocks 26 on which are attached thread guide members 28, 30 around which a filament thread 32 is delivered to respective needles 22. The axis of the needles 22 and the holders 24 is identified as b and inclined forwardly to the horizontal as well as being inclined with respect to axis a of the arm 18. This places the needles to be reciprocated in a downwardly and rearwardly position toward the back of the machine where is located platforms 16. Beneath needles 22 and receiving same therein is a pair of smooth, guide plate members 36 which are mounted on and are continuations of platforms 16 supported forwardly on upstanding pillar blocks 38. The inside edges of members 36 are formed with slots 40 in which operates the needle 22 in conjunction with looper element devices 42 to be described hereinafter. Flexible guides 41 are mounted on a guide support 43 on arm 16.

Supported on opposed pillar blocks 46 of identical construction on a transverse shaft 48 having attachment collars 50 thereon, is a rocker arm assembly designated generally as S2 and extending substantially fore and aft along the center line of plate 12 but rearwardly and upwardly from a front position at which is located a crank 1 shaft portion 54 to which is attached the shaft 56 of a crank arm 58 driven by a drive shaft 60 having a drive pulley 62 mounted thereon, and adapted to receive power through a belt 64 from a motor 66 mounted beneath plate 12.

The upper end of arm 52 is mounted between blocks 26 and needle holders 24 and terminates thereat. Arm 52 is connected to both needle holders 24 by means of a cross connecting member 66 attached substantially in the middle to a link 68 which resembles one complete link of a chain having pivot pins 70 whereby the link 68 will oscillate to drive the connecting member 66 upwardly and downwardly carrying both needle holders 24 therewith. This action causes simultaneously motion of the needle holders 24 thereby simultaneously driving both needles 22 which will serge edges of material passing across the respective platforms 36 on opposite sides of arm 18.

In the operation of arm 52, the connecting rod 58 is oscillated a short distance by the drive shaft 60 which in turn causes a short oscillation of arm 52 driving the link 68 to cause the needle holders 24 to traverse a short stroke upwardly and downwardly each rotation of shaft 60 Drive shaft 60 continues to the rear of the machine.

Mounted on opposite sides of the machine on the re spective blocks 38, 46 is a respective shaft 76, on which is bolted a collar 82, 84 carrying a slotted member 86, 88, in the respective slots in which is mounted a respective rocker arm 92, 94 having a respective pin 96 thereon protruding into and sliding in the respective slots 90. The inner end of each of the respective shafts 76, 80 carries the looper hook bifurcated plate members 98, 100, respectively, which are identical looper hook 102 thereon that travels from a position below the respective platform guide 36 to the position above and on the edge of same to assist in the formation of the lock, edge stitch Which is peculiar and common to the serging operation. The entire plates 98, are driven in proper timing and sequence from the common center drive shaft 68 through the respective arms 92, 94 acting in the respective slots 90 of the respective members 86, 88.

The other looper elements 104 both of identical construction are formed as a single special configuration with a circular portion 106 mounted on a common shaft 108, 110.

The exact operation of the reciprocating needles 22 which is shown generally in the two stages from FIGS. 4 to 5 will not be discussed or described in detail herein since this is a conventional and common serging opera- 4 tion which is the same on a single needle serging machine produced by Singer Manufacturing Company and the operation of the two elements 102, 104 in conjunction with the needle 22 has not been changed with the exception of the novel subject in the present invention for simultaneously driving same.

Loopers 102, 104 are associated and connected for conjoint action by means of pivoted link 114 which is attached movably both to a portion of the looper element 98, 100 and the respective looper elements 104.

In FIG. 5 there is shown a table designated generally as and which has a table horizontal support means 122 thereacross mounted on support legs and braces 124. The bottom plate 12 of the machine 10 is mounted on axle supports 126 for rollers 127 on the legs 124 so as to place the platform surfaces 36 of member 16 substantially even with the table top 122. A thread basket 128 is suspended by hangers 130 from the bottom of axle supports 126 and has therein respective spools or bobbins 132 of serging thread delivered through thread guides 134 through thread tubes 136 through the table top 122 up to the respective needles 22. This provides a continuous supply of filament or thread or yarn to the needles 22 for the serging operation.

In the operation of the present machine, power is supplied continuously through belt 64 from motor 66 to drive continuously to drive shaft 60. This, first of all rocks the rocker arm 52 which reciprocates the needle holders 24 simultaneously and thereby simultaneously drives the needles 22 into a typical carpet 140 which is delivered as a continuous Width to a cutting blade 142 power driven from any suitable source to cut the carpet 140 into separate edges 144 that are delivered across the platforms 36 on opposite sides of the arm 18 and beneath respective needles 22 to be serged thereat.

At the same time rocker arm 52 is driving the needles 22 simultaneously, the shaft 60 through the connecting members 96 etc., is driving respective shaft 76, 80 to oscillate same as the pins 96 slide in grooves 90 thereby to time the looper elements 102 at the proper position to serge in conjunction with the needles 22. This pulls the link 114 and causes the other looper elements 104 to act in concert therewith. As mentioned previously, the specific operation and loop forming procedure done by loopers 102, 104 in conjunction with needle 22 is not described in detail herein since this per se is a well known operation.

While we have shown and described a particular serging machine and operation thereof, this is by way of illustration only and does not constitute any sort of limitation on the scope of the invention since various changes, alterations, modifications, eliminations, deviations and ramifications may be made in the embodiment shown without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a multiple serging machine:

(a) a machine support for handling a continuously fed material,

(b) a sewing arm on said support,

(0) a cutting means continuously cutting said material ahead of said sewing arm producing cut edges,

(d) multiple serging means on said machine including a multiple needle support mounted on said arm and located so that said cut edges pass on opposite sides thereof, said serging means including spaced needles movably mounted on said multiple needle support and respectively engaging respective inside edges of the continuously cut material, said serging means forming serging stitches on the opposite, inside edges of a continuous length of the material cut by said cutting means and passing on either side of said arm and engaged by a respective needle,

(e) and main drive means for said serging means.

2. The device in claim 1 wherein said drive means includes a single power shaft having power take-off means thereon for each of said serging means, including a single drive means for each of said needles.

3. The device in claim 2 wherein the serging means includes a separate needle holder means for each needle and a separate looper for each needle said power take-off for said serging means includes a power shaft for each of sail loopers, there being a power connection from said main drive means to each of said power shafts for said loopers.

4. The device in claim 3, there being a single arm driving said separate needle holder means and a connecting means from said needle holder means to said single arm.

5. In a multiple serging machine:

(a) a machine support for handling a continuously fed material,

(b) a sewing arm on said support,

(c) a multiple needle support holder on said arm having a movable needle support including a plurality of needles mounted thereon,

(d) more than one individual serging stitch means on said machine including said needles to make a serging stitch,

(e) main drive means for said serging stitch means,

(f) a cutting means continuously cutting said material ahead of said sewing arm, said cutting means located to cut said material into separate edges that pass on either respective side of said arm, said needles being located to stitch said respective cut edges after said edges are cut and after passing on the sides of said arm,

(g) and said serging means further including individual looper means mounted on said support immediately adjacent said needles and cooperable therewith to form serging stitches on the opposing edges of a length of material cut by said cutting means and passing on either side of said arm adjacent a respective needle.

6. The device in claim 5, said drive means including a single drive member connected to said needle support for simultaneously driving all of said needles.

7. The device in claim 5 wherein said drive means includes a single power shaft having a power take-off means thereon, and a single drive means for all of said needles having connecting means thereon for driving said needles.

8. The device in claim 7, wherein said power take-01f means for said serging stitch means includes a power shaft for each of said loopers, there being a power connection from said main drive means to each of said power shafts for said loopers.

9. The device in claim 8, wherein said single drive means includes a single arm driven from said drive means to drive said multiple needle support, and a connecting means from said multiple needle support to said single arm.

10. In a method for simultaneously serging the opposite, cut edges of a continuously cut piece of material continuously immediately after the slit is made and continuously while the material is still being slit, the steps comprising:

(a) continuously engaging the material with a cutting means and continuously cutting the material while directing the material and cutting means relative to each other continuously through the cut edges to provide two cut edges which merge at the material,

(b) separating the two cut edges from each other continuously ahead of the intersection thereof at the uncut material while the material and cutting edge move relatively cutting the material,

(c) simultaneously serging each cut edge with a respective serging means located within the cut edges while passing the serged edges continuously past and beyond each respective serging needle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,443,084 1/1923 Mofiatt ct al 1l2l66 FOREIGN PATENTS 14,577 1855 Great Britain.

'RICHARD J. SCANLAN, JR., Primary Examiner. 

